


Guide to the Cheða / Chedha Constructed Language

by Cân Cennau (cancennau)



Category: Original Work, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Cardassia, Cardassians, Constructed Language, Headcanon, Lore - Freeform, Meta, Northern Continent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-05-18 04:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 9,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cancennau/pseuds/C%C3%A2n%20Cennau
Summary: Cheða / Chedha is a fan-constructed language made for the city and penninsula of Indar (Cheða: Enðarh) on the Cardassian Northern Continent.





	1. 0. INTRODUCTION

Cheða is a language from the Northern Continent of Cardassia, from the Indar Peninsula (Cheða: Enðarh). It is one of the few minority languages that wasn’t exterminated by the Central Belt Expansion, which tried to create a one-language planet that was easy to keep under surveillance. Kelas Parmak is a native speaker of it, and Elim Garak has it as his fifth language, following Cardăsda/Kardasi, Federation Standard, Bajor’la and Klingon. It wasn’t recognised as a language by the government until funding provision to preserve and educate folk in Cheða was deployed under the Garak government. In post-canon Cardassia, Cheða is experiencing something of a renaissance, especially given the prominence of native Cheðaites in the Reunion Project, and now in government.

Other Cardassian languages:

  * Cardăsda - main language of the planet. Fanon, made by Nerys Ghemor.
  * Kardasi - another version of the main language of the planet. Fanon created by tinsnip and Vic. 
  * Uun - a form of sign language. Normally used to supplement spoken Kardasi with inflection, but also signed with more complexity by mute and d/Deaf Cardassians. Fanon - created by Cân Cennau. 
  * Kurabda and Kurabda Sign Language - a language spoken by tribes in Lower Rivçal. Fanon, made by Nerys Ghemor. 




	2. I. ALPHABET

 Cheða is phonetic, and is made up of 20 unique sounds, each attributed to one letter of the Cheða script. When transliterated to Federation Standard, it has 4 vowels, plus 7 digraph and 9 monograph consonants.

**Cheða Script**

| 

**Cheða Transliterated Letters**

| 

**IPA Pronounciation**

| 

**Closest Equivalent**  
  
---|---|---|---  
  
| 

A, a

| 

a

| 

b **a** t, c **a** t  
  
| 

Cs, cs

| 

t͡ʃ

| 

**ch** alk, ket **ch** up (without the glottal stop)  
  
| 

Ch, ch

| 

χ

| 

lo **ch** , Welsh **ch** i  
  
| 

Ð, ð (alternatively, Dh, dh)

| 

θ

| 

wea **th** er, Welsh ny **th**  
  
| 

E, e

| 

æ

| 

b **e** t, Welsh t **e** bot  
  
| 

F, f

| 

v

| 

**v** ent, Welsh cy **f** lawn  
  
| 

J, j

| 

d͡ʒ

| 

**j** am, **j** ob  
  
| 

L, l

| 

ɫ

| 

oo **l** ong, Welsh niw **l**  
  
| 

M, m

| 

m

| 

**m** ess, **m** ight  
  
| 

Mg, mg

| 

ɱ

| 

sy **m** phony, Dutch o **m** vallen  
  
| 

N, n

| 

n

| 

**n** eed, **n** ight  
  
| 

Ng, ng

| 

ŋ

| 

je **ng** a, Welsh y **ng**  
  
| 

Ph, ph

| 

f

| 

**f** alse, Welsh eli **ff** ant  
  
| 

Rh, rh

| 

r̥

| 

Welsh **rh** yw, **rh** edeg  
  
| 

S, s

| 

s

| 

hi **ss** , **s** itting  
  
   | 

Ş, ş (alternatively S', s')

| 

ꞎ

| 

Welsh **ll** efrith, **ll** anc  
  
| 

Ts, ts

| 

ʃ

| 

wa **sh, sh** ake  
  
| 

Ū, ū (alternatively Uu, uu)

| 

u

| 

m **oo** n, ny **oo** m  
  
| 

Ȳ, ȳ (alternatively Yy, yy)

| 

ʌ

| 

m **u** ck, Welsh c **y** nghanedd  
  
| 

Z, z

| 

z

| 

**z** ebra, **z** oom  
  
The Cheða vowels are split into short and long groups. a and e are always short, unless they are with another vowel, in which case they form a dipthong with the other vowel - the presence of a dipthong for these vowels is marked with an umlaut (ä and ë), or if accents can't be used, then with vowel doubling (aa and ee). The long vowels, ū and ȳ, are always long, and always transliterated with a macron, or with vowel doubling if accents aren't available.  
  
Both the digraph and monograph consonants are counted as one letter. There are no glottal stops in Cheða, although there is a hiatus between different words in a block phrase. There are also no taps, lateral taps, affricates nor stops in its phonology - it’s a very smooth language!

The script itself is inspired by the night sky - Indar contains a large salt plane (Lūëmmrh-Enūëðarh) that mirrors the night sky when it rains, and this plane is very much a source of spirituality and an important place in traditional Cheða mythology.


	3. II. GRAMMAR

Cheða is a left-to-right written language, with words ordinarily written vertically, and the vowels branching off horizontally to the right. Cheða also uses “block phrasing”, where nouns and their affective adjectives, adverbs and prepositions, or verbs and their subject, object and tense, are written adjacently without spacing (indicated in transliterations by hyphens). Due to block phrasing and vertical orientation of the words, the vowel branching often causes vowel/consonant sharing and vowel epenthesis. 


	4. A. Word and Phrase Block Order

__

_The noun phrase block for the word Cheða_

The “phrase block” is the block of script that includes almost everything relating to the root word in the block. There are three types:

  * Verb blocks - these contain everything to do with the verb. The verb is the root word, and in this block you’ll also have the mood and negation tag as prefixes, and the tense and object/subject pronouns as suffixes, and determiners if it requires them.   

  * Noun blocks - these contain everything to do with nouns. The noun is the root word, and you’ll have prepositions, determiners and definite articles as prefixes, and the plural tag, adverbs and adjectives will be suffixes. They can either be subject or object noun blocks.  

  * Conjunctive block - this block contains mainly conjunctions. Most of the time these are suffixed to one of the other blocks, but occasionally they need to be in their own block.



Cheða is a VSO language, and most sentences go [verb phrase block]-[subject phrase block]-[object phrase block] - if they don’t, the altered phrase blocks are tagged with prefixes to notify the reader what the subject and object are. In a verb phrase block, Cheða is written verb-subject pronoun-object pronoun. Since Cheða verbs do not conjugate except when taking on epenthetic vowels, tense, negation and mood are indicated by suffixes and prefixes. For example, in a fully constructed negated verb block, the order would be negation-mood-verb-[subject pronoun]-[object pronoun]-tense. In a noun block, it would be preposition-definite-noun-plural-adjective/adverb.

 _Chūär-mūënrhȳð na-csäënða-jrhelmg-sema-jëäëtsa-nūëäng_ _=_ **Maybe I will not see them**. (figleaf-maybe negation-potentative-[to see]-[1st sing.]-[3rd plu. ind.]-future)

 _Sūðn-nūätsrhamf-sëäma-nëäū nann-chäū-näūtsrhassel_ \- **I swim at the swimming house** (indicative-[to swim]-[1st sing.]-[3rd. sing. obj.]-present in-definite-[swimming house]

In the first example, we have the **connective block** (chūär-mūënrhȳð) followed by the **verb block** (na-csäënða-jrhëlmg-sema-jäëtsa-nūëäng). In the second example, it's the **verb block** (sūðn-nūätsrhamf-sëäma-nëäū) followed by the **noun-object block** (nann-chäū-natsrhassel).

Subject phrase blocks can come anywhere in the sentence, but must be prefixed with the agency prefix “mgar” if it comes after the object phrase block or before the verb phrase block. Object phrase blocks are the same, except they do not use the agency prefix - however, if it comes before the verb block, it must use the acting-on prefix “jngū”. Inside both blocks, the order is preposition-definite-number-noun-plural-adjective/adverb

 _chū-mūlūng-tsrha-Ðäȳmglrh -_ **the Tumblr blogs** (definite-[blog]-plural-[translit. Tumblr])

 _Sūðn-ðūä-sëäma-nëäū phelngen-phefäëmph-äënnëän_ \- **I am a gold-feathered person** (as in a blonde haired person) (indicative-[to be]-[1st sing.]-present person-hair-gold)

 _Na-zärhemg_ - _jrhelmg-netsach chū-phūëlngen_ _mgar-säëma_ \- **The person wasn't seen by me.** (negation-continuative-[to see]-[1st sing.]-[3rd ind. sing.]-past definite-person subject-me)

Indirect objects don’t really occur in Cheða. To say something like “Elim gave Kelas a drink”, you’d need to rearrange it as “Elim gave a drink to Kelas, and prefixing _channarh_ with the passivity prefix _naphlm._

 _Sūðn-fūë-näëtsach Elim naphlm-channarh rhðȳ-Chȳëlas -_ **Elim gave a kanar to Kelas.** (indicative-[to give]-past Elim passivity-kanar to-Kelas)

Sentences using two or more verb blocks in a conjugate+infinitive, conjugate+verbal noun or conjugate+gerund sense have no special arrangement - but keep in mind the 2nd verb acts like the subject of the conjugate and requires the passivity prefix _naphlm_.

 _Sūðn-chūärhmað-sëäma-nëäū naphlm-ða äūmȳnne_ \- **I love to be happy** (indicative-[to love]-[1st. sing.]-[3rd. obj. sing.]-present passivity-[to be] happy)

 _Äënð-mafrhle-ðema-nëäūng naphlm-näëtsrhamph ënȳū-jȳëma? -_ **Will you ask to swim with me?** (interrogative-[to ask]-[2nd sing.]-[3rd obj. Sing.]-future passivity-[to swim] with-me?)


	5. B. Constructing The Phrase Block and Vowel Epenthesis

Constructing the phrase block really goes hand-in-hand with vowel epenthesis, since the epenthetic vowels are all to do with the vertical-branched structure of the phrase block.

There are some main rules to constructing the phrase block and placing vowel epenthesis:

  * The main line must include the first consonant of every word in the block.  

  * The main line cannot contain vowels nor branched vowels.  

  * The vowels branch off the consonant immediately before it - unless it is in the main line, in which case it branches from a placeholder ( _chðanað)_.  

  * Epenthetic vowels are part of both its origin word and the word it has been branched into.  

  * Epenthetic vowels in a non-origin word take priority over native vowels and consonants.  

  * If an epenthetic vowel is immediately beneath a consonant or placeholder with a branched vowel, and that vowel is the same as the epenthetic vowel, remove the branched vowel of the second word. 
  * If an epenthetic vowel is in the position where a placeholder with a branched vowel would ordinarily be without epenthesis, and that vowel is the same as the epenthetic vowel, remove the branched vowel of the second word and don’t insert the placeholder.  

  * Epenthetic vowels cannot be added to the start or end of the word.



Let's work through an example, and construct “golden-haired person”. We first need our phrase parts - these are _phelngen_ (person), _phfamph_ (hair, or the cardassian feather hair) and _äënnen_ (golden).

So first, let's spell our first word _phelngen_ vertically.

  | 

1st word

| 

2nd word

| 

3rd word

| 

4th word

| 

5th word  
  
---|---|---|---|---|---  
  
MAIN

| 

ph

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
2

| 

e

| 

_._

| 

_._

| 

_._

| 

_._  
  
3

| 

l

| 

**_._**

| 

**_._**

| 

**_._**

| 

**_._**  
  
4

| 

ng

| 

_._

| 

_._

| 

_._

| 

_._  
  
5

| 

e

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
6

| 

n

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
All vowels need to be on the right side. Our mainline is started with “ph” - therefore the “e” below it must branch off a placeholder. The final “e” will branch off the “ng”.

  | 

1st word

| 

2nd word

| 

3rd word

| 

4th word

| 

5th word  
  
---|---|---|---|---|---  
  
MAIN

| 

ph

| 

.

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
2

| 

***

| 

_e_

| 

_._

| 

_._

| 

_._  
  
3

| 

l

| 

.

| 

**_._**

| 

**_._**

| 

**_._**  
  
4

| 

ng

| 

_e_

| 

_._

| 

_._

| 

_._  
  
5

| 

n

| 

.

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
6

| 

.

| 

.

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
The “e"s are now epenthetic vowels - they are shared in the phrase block by both their origin word ( _phelngen_ ) and will be included in the word immediately adjacent ( _phfamph_ ).

Lets add _phfamph_ to the phrase block.

  | 

1st word

| 

2nd word

| 

3rd word

| 

4th word

| 

5th word  
  
---|---|---|---|---|---  
  
MAIN

| 

ph

| 

**ph**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
2

| 

***

| 

_e_

| 

_._

| 

_._

| 

_._  
  
3

| 

l

| 

**f**

| 

**_a_**

| 

**_._**

| 

**_._**  
  
4

| 

ng

| 

_e_

| 

_._

| 

_._

| 

_._  
  
5

| 

n

| 

**m**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
6

| 

.

| 

**ph**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
Since the “e” is where the “f” normally would be, and epenthesis vowels take priority, the “f” is shifted down a row. The “a” of _phfamph_ is branched from the “f” in its new position, and is now an epenthesis vowel shared between the origin word and the next word. The second “e” shifts the “m” down a row, and the “ph” caps the end.

The correct conjugated form of _phfamph_ in this phrase block is _phefäëmph._

Let's add _äënnen,_ our last word.

  | 

1st word

| 

2nd word

| 

3rd word

| 

4th word

| 

5th word  
  
---|---|---|---|---|---  
  
-2

|   |   | 

*******

| 

_a_

| 

**_e_**  
  
MAIN

| 

ph

| 

**ph**

| 

n

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
2

| 

***

| 

_e_

| 

n

| 

_e_

| 

_._  
  
3

| 

l

| 

**f**

| 

**_a_**

| 

**_._**

| 

**_._**  
  
4

| 

ng

| 

_e_

| 

n

| 

_._

| 

_._  
  
5

| 

n

| 

**m**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
6

| 

.

| 

**ph**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**

| 

**.**  
  
Since the mainline must contain the first consonant, the word is shifted up two places so the first “n” sits on the mainline. The first “a” and “e” are branched from a placeholder, and are _chained epenthesis_ vowels - that is, they are tethered to the same letter, but affect different words - in this case, “a” could affect the 4th word, and “e” could affect the 5th. But because they are above the mainline, and epenthetic vowels can only be added to the middle of words, these will only take effect if the next two words begin with a vowel, and are shifted up just as _äënnan_ was.

The vowel branching is similar to what we've seen before - the second “e” branches from the second “n”, and the final “n” shifts down to accommodate the epenthesis “a”.

The correctly conjugated phrase block is therefore _phelngen-phefäëmph-äënnëän._ In Cheða script, it would look like this.

_phelngen-phefäëmph-äënnëän in Cheða script_


	6. C. Grammatical Punctuation

**Punctuation Mark**

| 

**Name**

| 

**Use**  
  
---|---|---  
  
| 

Chrhȳph

| 

Placed just behind the word-part of the phrase block. Indicates where the word-part begins and ends.   
  
| 

Chäūn

| 

Indicates a branched vowel. Used to indicate when a vowel is being branched into the next word part.   
  
| 

Chðanað

| 

A placeholder. Acts as a root for a branched vowel when no consonant is available. Used when:

  * A vowel is directly after the main-line consonant
  * A word part begins with a vowel, and has no consonant to branch from. 
  * A vowel immediately follows a branched vowel (chained epenthesis is normally preferred over placeholding in this instance, but placeholding may be used to ensure rhyme or a certain syllable count - important in Cheða poetry!) 

  
  
| 

mȳnðannen (shorter versions are “mȳnðannen-tsȳrhafen”) 

| 

Long mȳnðannen are used to indicate the end of a sentence. The number of mȳnðannen indicate the emotion of the text - one is fairly dispassionate, two is normal speech, three is emphasised and firm, four is shouting. Ten or more long mȳnðannen means you're reading a particularly irate customer complaint. 

Shorter mȳnðannen are used to indicate breaks in the passage, much like an ellipses or a comma. Several mȳnðannen-tsȳrhafen” in a row indicate a question, but can also mean passive aggressiveness if put in the wrong place!   
  
| 

mşūnð

| 

Indicates speech or a quotation. Goes around the full phrase being quoted.   
  
 

 


	7. III. VOCABULARY

This is a non-exhaustive list of Cheða vocabulary. I will be adding to it as I go along.


	8. A. Pronouns

Pronouns can mean several things. For example, “sema” can mean both “I” and “me”, and also “my” and “mine” if combined with the ownership prefix “nȳrhng”. 

  | 

**Singular**

| 

**Plural**  
  
---|---|---  
  
**1st**

| 

sema

| 

setsa  
  
**2nd**

| 

ðema

| 

ðetsa  
  
**3rd (living being)**

| 

jema

| 

jetsa  
  
**3rd (inanimate object)**

| 

chema

| 

chetsa


	9. B. Questions

These are prefixed to any block they affect, but occasionally can appear on their own.

**Cheða**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
äëmmða

| 

how  
  
emnama

| 

where  
  
larhemgn

| 

when  
  
ūnaf

| 

what, whatever


	10. C. Prefixes

Prefixes are specific phrase parts that are never found outside a verb, noun or conjunctive block. As the name suggests, these are prefixed to the root word.


	11. i. Moods

These are grammatical moods, to modify the verb block. Verbs that would be considered infinitive do not use mood prefixes. 

**Cheða**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
äënð

| 

interrogative mood, but also conditional mood. Will you swim (implicit: if I need you to)? I will swim if… (implicit: are these conditions possible)?

In Cheða, by asking you are implicitly laying down conditions, and by using conditional moods, you are implicitly asking if it is possible.   
  
csanð

| 

subjunctive - I might swim, I might’ve swum, I may swim  
  
csenða

| 

potentative - I will probably swim, I probably did swim, I probably swim.   
  
csūnðe

| 

optative mood - I hope to swim, I hoped to swim, I will hope to swim  
  
ðanş

| 

imperative mood - Swim!   
  
sūðn

| 

indicative mood - I will swim, I swim, I swam  
  
tsȳmg

| 

completive mood - I had swam, I have swum, I will have swum  
  
ūmarh

| 

attemptative - I tried to swim, I try to swim, I will try to swim  
  
zrhemg

| 

continuative mood - I am swimming, I was swimming, I will be swimming


	12. ii. Prepositions

These are always attached to the noun block, or to an infinitive verb.

**Cheða**

| 

**English meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
ennamg

| 

of, about  
  
enȳū

| 

with, to do an action collaboratively alongside another person.   
  
lūð

| 

Indicates something is inside a proximal object; lūð-lūämgȳð - inside a bag, but NOT lūð-tsūässel (inside a home)   
  
nann

| 

Indicates something is inside a location - you can be nann-tsassel (in/at a home) but you can’t be nann-lamgnȳð (inside a bag)   
  
nenðarh

| 

from, something is separate from a group  
  
phanð

| 

In a set period of time, in a non-corporal item; e.g. _phanð-näȳz -_ in a day, _phanð-näȳz-tsrha-amaphrel -_ in better days  
  
rhðȳ

| 

“to” in the directional sense, as in to a destination or to an object. “(go) to my blog” _rhðȳ-sȳëma-mlūng_  
  
rhðnään

| 

“to” or “on” an object, initiating contact. _Ðanş-fäëch-chema mennäū rhðnään-chū-mnarhmäū -_ apply polish to the table.   
  
ȳmmrhū

| 

for, on behalf of someone else


	13. iii. Other Prefixes

Some of these will only be used in the noun phrase block, some only in the verb phrase block, some connected to a conjunctive block, and sometimes all or a few of them. 

**Cheða**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
chū

| 

definite article - the, that one (chū-mūërh), this one (chū-lūërh)  
  
chūärh

| 

a figleaf - used when a conjunction or comparative phrase block starts a sentence. Also used in the fossilized phrases chūär-lūërh and chūär-mūërh (there and here).   
  
jngū

| 

indicates something is being done to them, they are being acted on. Often used to define the object noun phrase block if it’s not clear where it is.   
  
mgar

| 

indicates something has agency, is doing something. Often used to define the subject noun phrase block if it’s not clear where it is.   
  
na

| 

negation - I will NOT do that, love NOT war  
  
naphlm

| 

indicates passivity in an action - she was moved, she was taken to somewhere. Also indicates an indirect object.   
  
nȳrhng

| 

Indicates ownership by the noun block; nȳrhng-sȳëma - mine, nȳrhng-jȳëma-tsäëssel - xer home. 


	14. D. Suffixes

Suffixes are specific phrase parts that are never found outside a verb, noun or conjunctive block. As the name suggests, these are suffixed to the root word.


	15. i. Tenses

These are all suffixed to the verb block. They’re all simple, since the mood system really modifies the verb. 

**Cheða**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
näū

| 

present, immediate tense  
  
netsach

| 

past tense, "before"  
  
nūng

| 

future tense, "after"


	16. ii. Conjunctions

These must be prefixed with “chūärh” if they open a sentence. These act as suffixes otherwise.

**Cheða**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
chenn

| 

that (introducing a subordinate clause)  
  
chūnð

| 

only  
  
ðūëch

| 

but  
  
ma

| 

“too”, to excess, too much - _marh_ _ū_ _-ma_  
  
mūënrhȳð

| 

maybe, possibly  
  
pha

| 

and  
  
phfa

| 

or  
  
sūtsaa

| 

so  
  
zeşşe

| 

also, too  
  
 


	17. iii. Other Suffixes

**Cheða**

| 

**Phrase Block Use**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---|---  
  
tsrha

| 

noun

| 

plural suffix - makes nouns plural.


	18. E. Adverbs, Determiners and Adjectives

Adverbs and adjectives can either appear on their own as an implicit noun block (with the pronoun in the verb block) or they are suffixed to the noun block.


	19. i. Numbers

Cheða numbers are all counted in base 4, or a vigesimal system above twenty. This comes from the old way of catching fish (a historic tradition on the continent) - when a fisher has one fistful of fish, xe only has 5 fingers  to count the fish with. By bending one finger, the Northern fisher can use the remaining four to count the fish, moving the bent finger along one finger every fourth fish so xe can also count how many groups of four fish xe has counted. 

_ A Northern fisher counting fish. Xe has 6 fish. _

Unlike other adjectives/adverbs, numbers go before the noun in the noun block. When writing in Cheða script, you have the option of writing the numbers longwise in the vertical-branched pattern, or writing the numerals above the thing being counted.   


**Cheða Numeral**

| 

**Transliterated Cheða**

| 

**_English Meaning_**  
  
---|---|---  
  
__

| 

_ūnð_

| 

one  
  
__

| 

_ðats_

| 

two  
  
__

| 

_lef_

| 

three

(note its similarity to the _chðanað_ \- this is intentional. The _chðanað_ is derived from this number, indicating the “triad” of the consonant above, the branched vowel and the _chðanað_ itself.)   
  
__

| 

_chreş_

| 

four  
  
__

| 

_chreş-ūnëð_

| 

five (four-one)   
  
__

| 

_chreş-ðëäts_

| 

six (four-two)   
  
__

| 

_chreş-lef_

| 

seven (four-three)   
  
_  
_

| 

_ðachreş_

| 

eight (two-fours)   
  
__

| 

_lechreş_

| 

twelve (three-fours)   
  
__

| 

_chrechreş_

| 

sixteen (four-fours)   
  
__

| 

_ūşȳm_

| 

twenty  
  
__

| 

_ūşȳm-chȳreş_

| 

twenty-four   
  
__

| 

_ūşȳm-chȳreş-lef_

| 

twenty-seven (twenty-four-three)   
  
__

| 

_ðäūşȳm_

| 

forty (two twenties)   
  
__

| 

_lëūşȳm_

| 

sixty (three twenties)   
  
__

| 

_chrëūşȳm_

| 

eighty (four twenties)   
  
__

| 

_zamgş_

| 

one hundred  
  
__

| 

_mräëşcha_

| 

five hundred


	20. ii. Directionals

**Cheða  
**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
lerh

| 

Roughly indicates something is close by - but never appears on its own. Normally acts like a modifier for chū or chūärh; chū-lūërh - this, chūärh-lūërh - here.  
  
merh

| 

Roughly indicates something is at a distance - but never appears on its own. Normally acts like a modifier for chū or chūärh; chū-mūërh - that, chūärh-mūërh - there.  
  
sang

| 

south-west  
  
mäū

| 

south-east  
  
phem

| 

north-east  
  
fann

| 

north-west  
  
ne

| 

north  
  
se

| 

south  
  
ȳche

| 

above  
  
ðe

| 

below  
  
chūts

| 

this side  
  
tsamm

| 

other side


	21. iii. Colours and Shades

**Cheða**

| 

**English meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
achrhon

| 

colour  
  
äënnen

| 

gold, yellow  
  
ðūä

| 

black  
  
ðūrhämg

| 

pitch black  
  
eðe

| 

turquoise  
  
  
ennäëm

| 

navy  
  
fenne

| 

cornflower blue  
  
  
fūäm  


| 

emerald green  
  
  
jūle

| 

dark forest green  
  
lach  


| 

laurel green  
  
  
lūëm  


| 

a deep, rich blue. think night sky  
  
memm  


| 

tea green  
  
  
myrhð

| 

brown, dark copper  
  
nannem  


| 

teal  
  
  
nūcha

| 

cyan  
  
pherhl  


| 

purple, more of a dark lilac  
  
  
rhalm

| 

pine green  
  
rhfan  


| 

shamrock green  
  
  
 sats

| 

duck egg blue  
  
  
tsanne

| 

silver grey  
  
ūnna

| 

white  
  
zech

| 

charcoal grey


	22. iv. Determiners

**Cheða**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
marhū

| 

“much”, normally an excessive amount, “much food”  
  
sūä

| 

“some”, an unspecified amount.


	23. v. Other Adjectives and Adverbs

Often adverbs are just the infinitive form of the verb - but occasionally they differ. Comparative forms can be created using am- as a prefix, and superlatives can be created using either -ş or -eş suffixes. 

**Cheða**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
äūmȳnne

| 

happy, joyful  
  
chrhäël

| 

important, valued  
  
csenðða

| 

tired, exhausted  
  
emgna

| 

late  
  
fannel

| 

certain, believing wholly in something  
  
mfanða

| 

average, okay  
  
mȳrl/amȳrl/äëmȳrş

| 

bad/worse/worst, an action wasn’t done well; _sūðn-nūätsrhamf-jëäma-netsach mȳrl -_ xe swam badly.  
  
naūmgne

| 

fertile. This can also be said with raised eyeridges to mean “horny”.  
  
nanneðrh

| 

dear, indicates affection  
  
phrel/amphrel/äëmphreş

| 

good/better/best, an action was done well. _sūðn-tsūrenmach-jema-netsach phrel -_ xe spoke well  
  
tsatsne

| 

tired, sleepy  
  
zngne

| 

early


	24. F. Verbs

Verbs are given in their infinitive form.

**Cheða**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
arhennech

| 

to wish  
  
charhmað

| 

to love  
  
chnnȳnchūrhða 

| 

to torture (mentally)  
  
csūërhðe

| 

to be here, to come  
  
csȳrhmn

| 

to expect  
  
ða

| 

to be  
  
ëūrhð

| 

to stay  
  
fannech

| 

to have, to be in possession of something  
  
fe

| 

to give  
  
fech

| 

to apply (something), to put  
  
jrhelmg

| 

to see, to observe  
  
jrhalmmenna

| 

to regret  
  
jūëmma

| 

to meditate, to reflect, to search for something inside yourself that you're not yet aware of  
  
mafrhle

| 

to ask permission  
  
mannech

| 

to arrive, to approach

|   
  
mellza

| 

to rain (mostly storms)  
  
mjatsa

| 

to welcome  
  
mjetsnennam

| 

to enjoin, to be married the Cardassian way. If used as a noun, it also means the entire Northern tradition of several meets and parties before and after the ceremony.  
  
mūūnm

| 

to know, to understand knowledge  
  
natsrhamf

| 

to swim (natsrhūrhū is a cute way of saying this, but means more ‘to paddle’, as a child does)   
  
nūrhchūn

| 

to be sorry, to apologize  
  
phnūrhcham

| 

to forgive, to accept amends for an action  
  
phrhamlenech

| 

to fly  
  
şa

| 

to be able to  
  
şȳnnche

| 

to drink  
  
tsamgtserha

| 

to rest, to take a break  
  
tsrhenmach

| 

to tell, to speak publicly  
  
ūmarh

| 

to try, to attempt - normally not needed if using the attemptative mood prefix on another verb.   
  
za

| 

to do, use with the mood “csenða” for something similar to “should”


	25. G. Nouns

Nouns form the root word of the noun block. Pronouns tend to be included in the verb block rather than the noun block, except when the pronoun is affected by the ownership prefix _nȳrhng,_ is an indirect object or part of a separate clause, or is affected by a preposition. 


	26. i. Dates and Days

Enðarh doesn’t do months, and instead has five seasons, each of which is roughly ten nine-day weeks long, give or take a few days. Unlike Mainland Cardassians, who have one full day and two half days off, Enðarh citizens have three full days off, leading to the common stereotype that Enðarh citizens are lazy and immoral, and don’t serve the State. 

**Cheða**

| 

**English meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
Ðūässȳch

| 

Black season! Due to their proximity to the Northern pole, this is the season when the sun fails to rise, and everything is dark for most of the season. It gets very cold, very quickly, and thunderstorms are common. It’s also the only time of year you’ll see mȳännr whales in the bay - ordinarily they live in the dark ice caverns underneath the main continent.   
  
Mnȳch

| 

Ice season! Everything is frozen - the ground, the people, the plants… it’s bitter cold. There’s a five week holiday right in the middle for everyone, since it’s too cold and dangerous to go to work or school. It’s still fairly dark, but there’s at least an hour or two of sunlight a day.   
  
Phlūnnasȳch

| 

Ash season! As the temperature warms, the ground starts to thaw and become boggy. The ground around the volcanoes near the Chranessi border territories also thaws and loosens… which causes the trapped gases below to belch huge columns of ash into the sky, making it - you guessed it, dark. That being said, it’s a good time for planting, and the ash makes great fertilizer for the soil.  
  
Chðūrach

| 

Dry season! The ash has taken on all the thawed moisture, and the sky has cleared. The trees that survived the black and ash seasons are in full bloom, the curve of their wide palmate leaves filled with blossoms. Common time for enjoinments and other celebrations too. Berries are populous this season too, and often cooks and chefs will fill their dinner tables with berry-based foods.   
  
Mjatsych

| 

Cutting season! Most plants have grown, and it’s time to harvest all the things and “welcome” them into the home (which is where the name comes from). The sky is almost a permanent pink-orange as the black season approaches, but often cloudy as the rain settles in. Common time of year for proposals due to the romantic sky - also a common time of year for breakups too.   
  
nȳz-unȳð

| 

1st day of the week.   
  
nȳz-ðȳäts

| 

2nd day of the week  
  
nȳz-lȳëts

| 

3rd day of the week  
  
nȳz-mȳäū

| 

4th day of the week - rest day, and a time for family. Everything is closed, except for emergency services.   
  
nȳz-chȳreş

| 

5th day of the week  
  
nȳz-chȳreş-unð

| 

6th day of the week  
  
nȳz-chȳreş-ðäëts

| 

7th day of the week  
  
nȳz-änënşen

| 

8th day of the week, rest day. Not as strict as _nȳz-mȳäū -_ often folk will go shopping or go on holiday today.   
  
nȳz-mȳrhaðe

| 

9th day of the week, rest day. Don’t go on the roads today - everyone’s trying to get back from their holidays. 


	27. ii. Towns and Geography

**Cheða**

| 

**English meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
arheng

| 

forest, though a closer meaning is "wild orchard"  
  
challe

| 

land  
  
chulle

| 

a lake or resevoir  
  
chullaðes

| 

a sacred spring  
  
lächmȳrh

| 

sea, ocean  
  
lūëmmrh

| 

salt plane - this word specifically refers to a salt plane that is historically considered a portal in mythology, such as Lūëmmrh-Enūðarh.  
  
merhel

| 

a small city  
  
nam

| 

large settlement, village  
  
nūð

| 

a big town  
  
phlummrh

| 

a salt plane  
  
phylle

| 

a farm, farmland  
  
sūse

| 

a large city  
  
ūnna

| 

a smallish town  
  
ūtse

| 

a small settlement  
  
ȳll

| 

island


	28. iii. Food and Drink

**Cheða**

| 

**English**  
  
---|---  
  
channarh

| 

kanar - a sweet-sour alcoholic syrup, that comes in different flavours. Both Kelas and Elim prefer black kanar, though most flavours suit them. However, following his implant malfunction in “The Wire”, Elim refuses to touch blue kanar.  
  
chaphe

| 

coffee  
  
ðäūn

| 

a black berry, a cross between rosehips and blackcurrants, that grow everywhere and anywhere on in Enðarh. A common ingredient for tea.  
  
e

| 

tea, or any drink involving steeping fruit and leaves in liquid  
  
neşle

| 

A sweet, thick syrup, with the density of heavy cream but the sweetness of jam. Can be made from maturing and fermenting certain kinds of fruit. Good on puddings or in coffee  
  
rhnäūls

| 

A form of easily produced home-brew drink, made from brush sap. Commonly made on teenage camping trips and house parties.  
  
şfan

| 

Bright yellow-orange berries found on certain bushes in the north-eastern Enðarh highlands. Very hot, like chillies.  
  
şfanchna

| 

A type of wine made from spicy-hot şfan berries. Very, very hot. Often heated with spices to created a mulled wine that’ll keep you warm in the ice season.  
  
tsȳūmg nannare-pha,

| 

a creamy dessert made from sweet fruit and salty Cardassian kelp, served with neşle syrup


	29. iv. Other Nouns

Nouns come in singular forms, and are pluralized with the suffix _tsrha._

**Cheða**

| 

**English meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
alëä

| 

an all purpose religious word, with a related secular meaning. Can be used in the same fashion as "amen" or "hallelujah" in Christian hymns, or can be used as simply a word for "religion". Can also mean "joy", or something that is personally important. _ūnaf-äënað-ða-ðäëma-näū nȳrhng-alȳëä? -_ what is your joy, what is your religion?  
  
amelle

| 

the cardassian retractable penis - this word is for button-sized ones, which have minimal scaling and ridging and don't extend much past the mouth of the _chlūäch_ once it's everted.  
  
ammäūn

| 

a group or collective, where each member is familiar with the others.  
  
ammenrhfa

| 

a thing, an indefinite object  
  
Cheða

| 

Cheða (the language). Derives from “Cheðmäūn”, the ancient collective of indigenous communities that mythology states was created in the peninsula to combat the Cataclysm back in the Hebetian Era.  
  
Cheðmäūn

| 

The ancient collective of indigenous communities that mythology states was created in the peninsula to combat the Cataclysm back in the Hebetian Era. Literally means “the Enðarh Collective”, from Old Cheða “Hū-ënūðam-äūnen”.  
  
Cheðȳū

| 

Cheðaite, a person who speaks Cheða. Cheðaite folk see learning the language as a rite of passage to gain membership of  the ancient Cheða collective.  
  
Charhðasða

| 

Cardăsda  
  
Charhðasmäūn

| 

The Cardassian Union  
  
Charhðasȳū

| 

Cardassian individual  
  
chlūäch

| 

the cardassian genital space - this is the canal where the cardassian retractable penis everts, and also allows for penetration.  
  
csannechð

| 

death, the dead  
  
csðennū

| 

healing, specifically mental healing. Northern Cardassia has a strong tradition of emotional and spiritual healing, and far better mental health services than the Central Belt.  
  
ðäūnlūrh

| 

presence, existing nearby - comes from the fruit bush "ðäūnnechenn", which is endemic on the peninsula.  
  
ðäūnnechenn

| 

a thorny bush that's fairly common in the scrubland and in unkempt urban centres - produces the fruit "ðäūn", which makes good tea.  
  
Ðrhel Chrhëūlða

| 

Trill Creole (the main language spoken on Trill)  
  
Ðrhel Nglūchräëȳū

| 

a Trill symbiont (lit. “Trill important-parasite”)  
  
Ðrhelȳū

| 

a Trill individual  
  
ðūrha

| 

an enjoined partner, often used as an epithet  
  
ðūrhach

| 

enjoinment, marriage. This refers specifically to the part of the marriage where contracts are signed - the ceremony in human terms.  
  
   
  
jūäë

| 

the dive undertaken by Lachmȳrh Cheðaites into the Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh, in search of the Deep Dark  
  
lamgnȳð

| 

a bag or satchel  
  
lūëmmrh

| 

a crossover point between the Beyond and the mortal world, or the Deep Dark and the mortal world. Occasionally gets used to refer to portals into the mirror and alternate universes. Lūëmmrh-Enūðarh refers to the main mirror salt plane in Indar, which is traditionally believed to be a portal to either the Beyond or the Deep Dark, depending on the weather and what it's reflecting.  
  
mäū

| 

a familial group, or a group of close friends.  
  
mennäū

| 

solution, normally applies to cleaning or polishing liquids  
  
mëūë

| 

the cardassian retractable penis - this word is for ones that sit between the full length of the _phmūäð_ and the button _amelle_.  
  
mnarhmäū

| 

a table, lit. “family board”  
  
Majūrhða

| 

Bajoran language  
  
Majūrhȳū

| 

Bajorans, from Bajor  
  
mellza

| 

rain, or more specifically a storm - nonaggressive rainfall is pretty rare on Indar  
  
Mjatsmȳrlȳū

| 

Mainland Cardassian (lit. “bad welcomers”) Mainland Cardassians consider it a slur. Garak finds it hysterical.  
  
mlūng

| 

a journal, a blog, a written collection of personal thoughts  
  
mūënrhal

| 

tradition  
  
narhaelmaz

| 

metaphor, lit. “not-dream”  
  
natsrhassel

| 

lit. “home for swimming”. Contains a swimming pool, but often also includes spa facilities such as hot rocks, bubble pools and steam rooms. Kelas would live there given half a chance.  
  
nenneja

| 

a moment, a short period of time  
  
nūm

| 

way, a way of doing things  
  
nȳz

| 

a Cardassian day  
  
nglū

| 

a worm-like parasite, that sits in the gut and absorbs nutrients. Not very common - most children get them from eating dirt. Also a term for the Trill Symbiont.  
  
Pheðerhða

| 

Federation Standard  
  
Pheðerhmäūn

| 

The United Federation of Planets  
  
Pherhengða

| 

Ferengi (the language)  
  
Pherengȳū

| 

Ferengi individual  
  
phelngen

| 

a person  
  
phfamph

| 

hair - specifically the Cardassian feather hair.  
  
phlūmmrh

| 

a common or garden ash plain  
  
phmūäð

| 

the cardassian retractable penis - this word is for the full-sized ones, that leave no space/little space in the _chlūäch_ once it's everted.  
  
Phūmanȳū

| 

Human individual  
  
tsamgna

| 

a break, a rest  
  
tsūssa

| 

house, residential building  
  
tsassel

| 

home


	30. H. Phrases and Slang

**Cheða**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
fe alëä

| 

to give a blessing, or to forgive someone totally for an action and wish to have a clean slate - essentially you are giving someone your personal faith. kelas forgave elim ( _phnūrhcham_ ) so they could let go of their fear and anger and come home, but only forgave elim ( _fe alëä_ ) when elim showed he had changed, and was committed to righting the wrong he had done. _fe_ is often fully conjugated, with _alëä_ remaining as a noun.   
  
nenneja-tserha-sūä

| 

“some moments” - means roughly the same thing as “one moment”, “give me a minute” etc.  
  
Sema mfanða

| 

“Me average” - I’m fine, I’m okay. Sema is replaceable with any pronoun.


	31. I. Greetings, Exclamations and Interjections

**Cheða  
**

| 

**English Meaning**  
  
---|---  
  
äënð-şa-säëma

| 

  If you can (formal please)  
  
csets

| 

  Thanks/Cheers! (informal)  
  
csetsnäūmȳnne

| 

  Great thanks! (formal)  
  
jȳmrhellmge

| 

 Salutations! (highly fancy and formal - use it to impress someone's parents)   
  
lūma

| 

  Bye! (informal)  
  
melngäū

| 

  Hi! (informal)  
  
mjatsa

| 

  Welcome! (fairly formal)  
  
ngūūrhle

| 

  Goodbye! (fairly formal)  
  
phūcha

| 

  Please (informal-ish, perfectly acceptable in most situations)  
  
ūj | 

  Oi! (very rude, unless said between close friends)  
  
ȳllemgna

| 

  Goodbye! (highly formal)  
  
 


	32. IV. LORE AND HEADCANONS

This section is for lore and headcanons about the Cheða people that affects their conception of language.


	33. A. Dichromatic Eyesight

_jrhelnȳsetschrhon - from “jrhelmg” (seeing), nȳrhng-sȳëtsa (our) and “achrhon” (colour), to be dichromatic, to see as many northern cardassians do_

Good eyesight is not necessarily useful on the Northern continent. A third of the year is spent in the dark, where seeing is useless, and another third is spent in permanent daylight, where sensitive eyesight would quickly become damaged. As their southern counterparts developed trichromatic sight, Northern cardassians developed eyesight that would be most useful to them - mainly the ability to see blue, green and ultraviolet light.

Technically, Northern Cardassians are still trichromatic like their southern counterparts. But Northern Cardassians have UV cones rather than the red cones of their southern counterparts, to account for the difference in light scattering in the Northern climate. However, Northern Cardassians can’t distinguish between UV colour and light/dark - since UV cones show UV light as black, it’s often difficult for a Northern Cardassian to distinguish between a shadows and UV-rich patches. You’ll find (once I add the words!) that Cheða has several words for different shades of blue/green due to this difference in sight. The makeup of Northern Cardassian cone cells is roughly 44% blue, 44% green, 22% UV (for Southern Cardassians it’s 1/3 blue, 1/3 green, 1/3 red)

Cheða colours ordinarily refer to shades of blue, green and black - however,  crossbreeding with Southern Cardassians has produced some northern Cardassians with tetrachromatic sight (with the red cones replacing the UV cones, and the number of cones being significantly weaker and less in number than Southern Cardassians). Modern colours, such as _äënnen (gold)_ and _myrhð_ (brown, dark copper red), come from the development of tetrachomatic sight.

_Southern Cardassian sight (left) versus 50% tetrachromatic sight (center) and dichromatic sight (right)_

Traditionally in Northern culture, tetrachromacy is seen as a disability (aððerhelchrhontsrha - “many seeing colours”), but it is prized among those who wish to work in the Southern provinces. Many jobs in the Southern continent explicitly ban those with dichromacy or with less than 50% tetrachromacy, since Southern technology is not accessible to them. (Kelas Parmak has around 55% tetrachromacy, which is how they are able to work in the southern continent).

To finish off, here’s how cardassia city would look to a southern cardassian, and to a tetrachromatic and dichromatic Cardassian.

_Cardassia City, as viewed with Southern Cardassian sight (top) versus 50% tetrachromatic sight (center) and dichromatic sight (bottom)_


	34. B. Maps and Geography

_**Shires** _

Ammäūn-Ȳläl

_Settlements_

There are three islands in this shire. The westernmost island is Chūtsess, and to its east lies Jūlle. The two small islands above them are Marhð-Pha-Lech.

_Economy_

Religious tourism is the biggest contributor, with pilgrims often island hopping on their way to Ðūrhamg-Lüächmȳrh. There's a yearly surge in visitors to see the  _mȳännrh_ whales emerge from Ðūrhamg-Lüächmȳrh during Ðūässȳch, the black season. There's also some money made in fishing and mollusc farming - _chūle-mūërhl,_ _chaðe_ and _neðða_ are particular speciality molluscs only available from the islands. Both islands in Marhð-Pha-Lech, Marhð-Pha and Lech-Phëä host sacred springs for those not fancying the trip to Ðūrhamg-Lüächmȳrh, and Marhð-Pha also provides less dangerous diving trips to the sunken island Fenn. 

Echrha-Pha-Challe

_Settlements_

The biggest city in this shire is Echrha-Şanne-Lachmȳërh, which straddles the Echrha Channel and connects Ȳll-Echrha to the mainland. Also on Ȳll-Echrha lies Echrha-Mäū-Ūnana, the small village to its south-east. To its west lies the two small towns of Ūllne-Sa-Lachmȳrh and Chlū-Nëūm, and between them lies the village of Ðūsse. Northwest of Ðūsse lies Şamşefann, and to the northeast lies the town of Nūðerhðe.

_Economy_

Scrub-farming is a particularly large contributor, and Echrha-Pha-Challe is the biggest producer of _ðäūn_ and _chellerh_ fruit for tea. Echrha-Şanne-Lachmȳërh also has two universities, and is known for producing medical and and religious students. Nūðerhðe also offers one of the entry points to the Lūëmmrh-Enūðarh, while Şamşefann allows access to the Şamşefann memorial ruins, which tourists often visit. Despite the coastline, there isn't a strong culture of fishing - the cliffs have made it impossible for a safe dock to be built, and most boats from the mainland tend to go to either Enðarh or Mäū-Mäërhä. Ūllne-Sa-Lachmȳrh and Chlū-Nëūm are also one of the few standing examples of Hebetian architecture, having been settlements built by the Hebetians who moved to the peninsula to escape persecution on the main continent, and this attracts many mainland tourists. Both these towns also have the highest proportion of mainlanders to natives.

Nūrhm-Enūðarh

_Settlements_

The capital of Enðarh, also called Enðarh, sits at the seashore in this shire. To its north-east lies the town of Sa-Şäëfann, and to its north-west the town Nūrhe-Sūëäng-Enðarh. The town of Mäū-Mäërhä lies far to the west, and the village of Sūse-Enūëðarh lies to the north.

_Economy_

Fishing and cargo shipping are big contributors to the economy. Fish such as the Enðarhan cod and oily ū _lmm_ fish are caught and sold in great numbers. Enðarh also has several universities, and is known for producing engineers and technologically minded students, while the university at Nūrhe-Sūëäng-Enðarh tends to produce mathematicians and physicists. Further inland, folk from Sūse-Enūëðarh tend to scrub-farm, producing root vegetables and some scrub fruit such as _ðäūn_ and _chellerh_. To the west you'll find Mäū-Mäërhä's fungi growing plants, which flush into huge mushroom clusters in the ash season.

Merha

_Settlements_

The biggest town here is Ūlmerha-Ȳche, which lies in the south-western part of the shire. To its south-east lies the village of Mganne-Sa-Sūse, to its north east is the town Ȳmg, and to its north is the village Lȳssū. To the north of Ȳmg are three villages - Chȳðe to the north-north-east, and Tsenna-Mëūäle-Mäū and Ȳche-Mëūnn to the north-north-west. Ȳche-Mëūnn is further north, and is closest to the town of Nȳphūä, to its north-east.

_Economy_

Most of its economy is produced in the arts sector. Merha is known for being the arts centre of Enðarh, and the universities at Ūlmerha-Ȳche and Nȳphūä produce renowned artists and writers. Merha also has a larger incidence of colleges, especially in Ȳmg which allows a much higher proportion of the population to access higher education. Numerous villages are supported by farming and producing traditional pigments and raw materials which are used by the arts sector, and Nȳphūä is known for its underwater farms that produce a kind of canvas for painting, clothing and other crafts.

Challe-Säë-Nȳërhng-Ȳlȳl

_Settlements_

Challe-Säë-Nȳërhng-Ȳlȳl has two major settlements. The first is Tsūle in the southeastern corner. To its north-west lies the town Ele-nem and the village Csulla, and far to the west lies the village Namme-Sa-Lachmȳrh. The second big settlement is Challe-Näūëð-Sa-Lachmȳrh in the north. To its south-east lies the town of Csenna-Sëūäl, and the two villages to its southwest are Pherhem and Phenmen.

_Economy_

Fishing and tourism are the main economic drivers. Tourists tend to travel here either on their way to Ammäūn-Ȳläl and Ðūrhamg-Lachmȳrh, or they travel to Pherem, Phenmen and Namme-Sa-Lachmȳrh in order to sail and see the protected animal species that nest on the uninhabited islands, such as chūfarhenn birds and mūllzennets seals. A set of colleges in Tsūle and Challe-Näūëð-Sa-Lachmȳrh produce mainly biologists and marine scientists. There is some scrub-farming, but its mainly animal-grade feed which is normally shipped to the main animal farms in Ūlle-Tsäëmg-Säë. That being said, Challe-Näūëð-Sa-Lachmȳrh farmers also herd riding hounds and _mjessnaz,_ a particularly hardy goat-like animal which is prizes for its rough hair and shed horn. Tsule also ships water to the four southernmost shires from its resevoir.

Phylle-Sȳë-Läëchmyrh

_Settlements  
_

The biggest settlement here is the town of Lūlläë-Sūäng in the far north. Two smaller towns lie to its south-west - Uðemşef and the more southern Llefann. Between them are two villages, with Cheðchalle being closer to Llefan, and Tsennm-Nëäm being closer to Uðemşef. Two other villiages lie to the east - Lass-Ðäëts is directly east of Cheðchalle, while Chūllam is to its south east.

_Economy_

Farming. The soil here is less dry than on the scrubland, and here crops such as sweet _mȳrcha_ and _channarha_ are grown, as well as any crops that grow above ground.  Fishing is also carried out here, but is banned during Ðūässȳch, as the _mȳännrh_ whales emerge from Ðūrhamg-Lachmȳrh and head into the inlet to mate. The port at Lūlläë-Sūäng is the primary arrival site for anyone coming in or heading towards Kranessi, while the port at Llefan is primarily research. Llefan also has a large nautical industry, and most ships out on the waters have spent some time at Llefan.

Mäū-Phäȳlle

_Settlements_

The town of Chūllmerha lies in its southwestern province, with the smaller town of Jamg to its east. North-north-east of Jamg lies the village of Chūlle-Csenðe, whilst to its north-north-west lies Nūn-Sūämrh-Na-Chäūlle. Far to the north is the large town of Rhally-Säūȳrhe-Mūȳem.

_Economy_

Mäū-Phäȳlle is really the business and manufacturing hub of the province. Being in the heart of Enðarh's farming and mining region means raw materials are plentiful, and finished products can be funnelled through Chūllmerha  into Enðarh City for shipping to the mainland, or to Rhally-Säūȳrhe-Mūȳem to be shipped to either Kranessi or the islands. There is some farming, but mainly takes place in Chūlle-Csenðe and Nūn-Sūämrh-Na-Chäūlle and is small scale, with animal farming being limited to small _ðaspharh_ birds and. Nūn-Sūämrh-Na-Chäūlle is, however, prized for the riding hounds it produces.

Tsamg-Ȳchäë

_Settlements_

The religious capital of Lūëmmrh-Tsūrhamg lies to the south east. To its north-east lies the town of Mūlch, and to its east the smaller town of Zūð-Nūä-Ȳche. The village of Zammeð lies northwest of Zūð-Nūä-Ȳche, whilst Nammechäëll lies to its northeast. The town of Ūlfanne lies far to the north-west.

_Economy_

Religious tourism is very big business here, with access to Memm-Arheng through Mūlch, and the Lūëmmrh-Enūðarh via boat on the reservoir. While Mäū-Phäȳlle specializes in manufacturing all things, Tsamg-Ȳchäë specializes in traditional crafting. Ūlfanne is known for its street food and specialities such as deep-fried _chejenna_ and  _mað-chauz_ noodles, and is commonly referred to as the food capital of Enðarh, while Zammeð is known for its production of alcoholic spirits like _channarh,_ Nammechäëll still has a working water-mill for weaving and printing, and Zūð-Nūä-Ȳche specializes in the production of jewellery. Lūëmmrh-Tsūrhamg has several colleges and universities that teach traditional craft and religious studies, and almost all religiously-minded folk will have studied at Lūëmmrh-Tsūrhamg at some point.

Ūlle-Tsäëmg-Säë

_Settlements_

The city of Tsäūnmg is the biggest settlement in this shire, with the village of Mäūneng to its north and Menna-Nëäm-Na-Säūche-Amlūchū-Lūëmmrh to its east. On the other side of the mountain lies the town Tsenna-Lëū-Ūnna. To its north is the village Sannðe, whilst the smaller town of Lūëmmrh-Chūlle lies on the banks of the lake.

_Economy_

Despite its proximity to the border of Lūëmmrh-Enūðarh, tourism isn't big business here. Only Menna-Nëäm-Na-Säūche-Amlūchū-Lūëmmrh has a significant income from tourism, as folk travel there to either visit the sacred spring, climb the mountains or head into the Lūëmmrh-Enūðarh. The main industries are water transport, small-scale mining and tree farming. Ūlle-Tsäëmg-Säë is the only place seeds taken from the Memm-Arheng can grow, outside the Memm-Arheng itself, and there is big business growing nuts and cacti fruit in orchards here, as they do outside Mäūneng and Sannðe. Mining operations take place primarily in Tsenna-Lëū-Ūnna, which ships precious gems and stone for building. Materials gathered here tend to either go through Lūëmmrh-Chūlle to Tsamg-Ȳchäë, or through  Tsäūnmg to Mäū-Phäȳlle for processing.

Se-Cherhannesse

_Settlements_

There are only three settlements in Se-Cherannesse. The biggest is Anaphem in the south west. East of Anaphem lies the village of Murhja-Lūächmȳrh. The northernmost village is Chūle-Ȳchūë-Ūnna, which is the first village you come across when traveling from the mainland to Enðarh.

_Economy_

Travellers from Kranessi bring in a significant portion of income, especially from those hoping to take a day-trip into Memm-Arheng. Other than that, small-scale mining operations in and around Anaphem and water transport from the resevoir bring in most money. High altitude farming tends to be practiced in both Murhja-Lūächmȳrh and Chūle-Ȳchūë-Ūnna, especially for _şfan_ berries and _nezamen_ sprouts. Chūle-Ȳchūë-Ūnna also tends to farm mountainous animals as well as farming, with animals such as various _zrhefa_ birds and various fleece producing mammals. The first Federation visitors claimed to have seen dragons the first time they visited, and in their defence the mighty winged _arhūänð_ are a little like dragons. They also provide highly prized venom, scales, fleece and horns. The port at Murhja-Lūächmȳrh is also the only access point to the religious enclave on the coast of Memm-Arheng.

Chðann

_Settlements_

The biggest settlement here is Mū-Nūä-Nūäð, which lies nearest the sea. To its south east lies the town of Şanne-Mäū, whilst across the river to its east is the village of Namme-Sa-Chūlle. The town of Chðȳä lies in the south-easternmost part, while the village of Rhlūëchan lies to its north-west.

_Economy_

As with the surrounding provinces, farming is big business here. The eastern half of the province grows plants from Memm-Arheng for farming, whilst the western half tends to farm cane crops such as sweet _mȳrcha_ and _channarha_ crops. Şanne-Mäū and Namme-Sa-Chūlle also farm fresh water fish, while the port near Mū-Nūä-Nūäð offers deep sea farming. Chðȳä also offers an alternate way into Memm-Arhemg, which makes it fairly popular with tourists. Mū-Nūä-Nūäð is also known for its blight of _zaphū_ _,_ and often welcomes sport hunters to cull the herd before it damages the ecosystem. Rhlūëchan is also known as the starting point for the yearly skimmer rallies, which bring rally fans from all over Cardassia.

_**Temple Jurisdictions** _

Lūëmmrh-Enūðarh

_Settlements_

A small group of religiously minded folk live in Nenneja-Tsëäëämgna temple in the center of the plane.

_Importance_

The Lūëmmrh-Enūðarh is the only recognized natural portal to The Beyond, a place in the Cheðaite belief system where the dead Wait before reincarnation. There is some vigorous scholarly debate as to whether The Beyond is its own phenomena or just an extension of The Deep Dark, but with the exception of the Ðūër branch of the Cheðaite religion (which has a fairly substantial religious base), it's generally treated by religious folk as a seperate phenomena. During certain conditions, the portal will open, and Cheðaites will head to the plane in the hopes a loved one has Waited. To Wait in the The Beyond means the person who's died has unfinished business, and its hoped living loved ones can give closure, and allow them to move into reincarnation.

Memm-Arheng

_Settlements_

Chūlla-Chūäën-Majen is the biggest settlement. It's also the biggest enclave of native folk. A small group of religiously-dedicated folk live in Mäū-Näū-Sūchamg to the south-east.

_Importance_

Memm-Arheng is a giant rainforest, and is one of two recognized portals to the Vinculum, or as Cheðaites refer to it, The Deep Dark. The Deep Dark is a schism in time, a nexus that contains all wisdom and knowledge. The Deep Dark in Memm-Arheng is accessed by walking through the forest until one comes across a door carved into a large tree. It is described by those who have entered it as a dark library stacked from floor to ceiling with books, lit only by a candle taken with the user. The Vinculum guides the user to what they need to know most, be it a book or someone waiting behind the shelves. Many pilgrims get lost in the forest and several have died of thirst or dehydration, or been attacked by wildlife, triggering the construction of Chūlla-Chūäën-Majen as a community of rangers to lessen the number of deaths and to rescue stranded pilgrims. Those who do not want to enter The Deep Dark can take an underground train to Chūlla-Chūäën-Majen and visit the sacred spring instead, or take the boat from Murhja-Lūächmȳrh to the religious community in Mäū-Näū-Sūchamg.

The Memm-Arheng portal is used primarily by Memm Cheðaites, who historically have not recognized any other portal to The Deep Dark. This disrecognition has created strife with the Lachmȳrh Cheðaites, who recognize the Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh as the portal to The Deep Dark. Several incidents relating to this strife have triggered violence including the 2104 Burning of Memm-Arheng, the 2247 Riots of Lūëmmrh-Tsūrhamg and multiple attempts to poison or damage the sacred spring. To end the violence, the Cheða Council now recognize both Memm-Arheng and Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh as portals to The Deep Dark.

Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh

_Settlements_

None, but a group of religiously minded folk live on Marhð-Pha-Lech and sail here frequently.

_Importance_

Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh is a deep chasm in the ocean floor, and is one of two recognized portals to the Vinculum, or as Cheðaites refer to it, The Deep Dark. The Deep Dark is a schism in time, a nexus that contains all wisdom and knowledge. This portal is notoriously hard to access, and requires at least three years of extensive divers training before the first dive into the chasm, and requires that two additional divers are present at all dives for each diver. The Deep Dark is accessed by diving as deep as possible into the darkest reaches of the chasm, until one sees a distinctive blue-speckled _mȳännrh_ whale. Folk who have attempted the dive describe The Deep Dark as a dark  underground cave, with scrolls and tablets tucked in every crevice, lit only by the whale that acts as their guide. The route there is treacherous, and many divers have died attempting the dive due to mounting water pressure, loss of oxygen, hypothermia or following a live _mȳännrh_ whale under the ice rather than the guide whale. Due to this, most visitors only visit the sacred spring on either Marhð-Pha or Lech-Phëä (in Marhð-Pha-Lech), or take a boat to sail across it.

The Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh portal is used primarily by Lachmȳrh Cheðaites, who historically have viewed other portals as "lesser" portals. This has created strife with the Memm Cheðaites, who only recognize the Memm-Arheng  as the portal to The Deep Dark. Several incidents relating to this strife have triggered violence, with including the 2112 Bloody Season (where several _mȳännrh_ whales were slaughtered during the black season), pirate activity during dives, and the 2245 destruction of the second shrine on Marhð-Pha (in Marhð-Pha-Lech). To end the violence, the Cheða Council now recognize both Memm-Arheng and Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh as portals to The Deep Dark.

_**Protectorates** _

Ȳll-Tsrha-Phlummrh

_Settlements_

There are three islands here - Ȳll-Samrh, Ȳll-Anna and Ȳll-Nūnn. Ȳll-Tsrha-Phlummrh isn't a shire - several groups of uncontacted folk live there, and the Enðarh Council keep an eye on them, and appoint a representative to represent them in political matters.


	35. C. Slang and Kardasi Influence

As many of you have probably realized, Cheða with its vowel epenthesis and its block system of writing can get very, _very_ long. It can get very long to write, and very long to speak - and therefore Cheða slang exists to shorten those words (much to the consternation of Cheða purists). There are really two main kinds of Cheða slang:

  * Grammatical deconstruction - where a phrase is said so commonly that grammatical constructions such as tense and mood are simply removed because it is so commonly used.
  * Additional articulation - where parts of a phrase are replaced with simultaneous signing using hands or eyes.



Often, grammatical deconstruction will cause the development of additional articulation, and occasionally additional articulation will cause grammatical deconstruction. On Cardassia, grammatical deconstruction developed as a purely Cheða phenomenon, while additional articulation is an import from the Kardasi Uun (and is therefore seen as less acceptable by Cheða purists). But while the Kardasi Uun often shows second and third meanings, Cheða signing slang is used primarily to cut down the length of what is said.

Lets look at one of the more common examples of this, which is the Cheða phrase for "I'm ok."

Full Cheða: Zrhemg-ðëä-sëäma-nëäu mfanða

Slang: Sema mfanða

This shows both grammatical deconstruction and additional articulation. The grammatical deconstruction comes with the removal of _zhremg_ and _näū_ from the verb block. The additional articulation is seen in the removal of the verb - certain short verbs such as _ða_ (to be), _fe_ (to give), _fech_ (to put/apply), _şa_ (to be able to), _za_ (to do) can be removed and signed. It is only short, common verbs that do this, and this phrase is unusual in that the verb removal has been written down - often, additional articulation will not be shown in the written form, and the word replaced with signing is written as if it's was never gone from the verbal phrase. Additional articulation is a primarily verbal phenomenon, while grammatical deconstruction is present in  both verbal and written Cheða.

Once I find somewhere to record, I'll put some Cheða signing videos below!


	36. D. Word Etymologies

This is a general page for interesting word histories that I can't stick anywhere else. \o/

_**Alëä** _

_definition: an all purpose religious word, with a related secular meaning. Can be used in the same fashion as "amen" or "hallelujah" in Christian hymns, or can be used as simply a word for "religion". Can also mean "joy", or something that is personally important. ūnaf-äënað-ða-ðäëma-näū nȳrhng-alȳëä? \- what is your joy, what is your religion?_

The totalitarian Cardassian government was not a friend of religious practice. While the Hebetians were being hunted for their faith, up north religious Cheðaites weren't faring much better. While their religious locales were protected from Central Belt incursion due to environmental laws, Cheðaites risked being imprisoned or murdered if they talked about or practiced their faith. The suppressing of non-Kardasi languages also meant Cheðaites couldn't talk about their faith in their native tongues, except in their own personal homes. And even that wasn't certain - families of political dissidents could also find themselves imprisoned or split up if the Obsidian Order broke in during breakfast to arrest the dissident and found the family speaking Cheða or engaged in an act of faith. And so, over the years, the wealth of Cheða religious words dwindled, as many words couldn't be used safely - but as words were lost, it became important to find a word that could be used without risk of imprisonment.

 _Alëä_ became that word. Originally meaning "joy" or to indicate an object, person or activity that is valued by someone, its use exploded to refer to everything and anything religious.  _Alëä_ started being used in the same fashion as "amen" and "hallelujah", in songs and chants to hide the true religious nature of the music. Religious feasts would be opened with a recitation of  _alëä_ , a bit like saying "itadakimasu" or saying grace. Cheðaites who also worshiped deities would use  _alëä_ instead of "deity" or in place of the names of deities. Religious locals such as the Lüëmmrh-Enüðarh were referred as places of _alëä,_ and religious rites were identified by being described as  _alëä_ \- for example  _jūëmma-alūëä_ describes a specific ritual meditation or prayer.

Its dual meaning, both "joy" and "religion", meant that the Obsidian Order could not imprison everyone who talked about their  _alëä_. It could mean so many things, that generally saying or doing  _alëä_ was not an admission of guilt or something that could be used in a court of law. The Obsidian Order tried, but soon found out they risked losing the cooperation of folk in the region if they arrested and killed folk for  _alëä._ It was a waste of resources, given the ubiquity of the word and its dual meaning, to hunt down every Cheðaite who used the word _alëä_ , and it therefore became a safe word to describe or express religious feeling on Enðarh. 


	37. E. Religious Denominations

This is just a quick introduction to the main native religious denominations in Enðarh. While other faiths are also practiced (Oralian Way, Bajoran Prophetic Religion), these are the ones that originated in the region.

**Memm Cheðaites**

Memm Cheðaites make up around 40% of the Enðarh population, just edging out those of Lachmȳrh descent. The name literally means "tea Cheðaites" or "green Cheðaites", both referring to their practice of worshiping in the Memm-Arheng rainforest, and their use of rainforest produce in their private practice. Memm Cheðaites (and places with a strong contingent of Memm Cheðaites) are known for elaborate tea ceremonies, and ritual meditation on tea and other foods grown from the rainforest. Whilst religious communities live in and around Memm-Arheng, there is no priesthood training - rather, dedicating yourself to protecting the Memm-Arheng and Memm rituals is enough.

**Lachmȳrh Cheðaites  
**

Lachmȳrh Cheðaites make up around 35% of the population, with their name meaning "sea Cheðaites", due to their ritual practices at the Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh sea crevice. Unlike Memm Cheðaites, Lachmȳrh Cheðaites do have formal priest training, due to the inherent dangers of the Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh and the need to protect followers who wish to dive. Lachmȳrh Cheðaite rituals tend to involve water and bathing, seeing the ocean and the water around the Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh as sacred or blessed.

**Ðūër Cheðaites**

The Ðūër Cheðaite denomination is much more common in the younger folk, and makes up about 10% of the population. Unlike the Memm and Lachmȳrh Cheðaites, Ðūër Cheðaites see both the Memm-Arheng and the Ðūrhamg-Lūächmȳrh as entrances to the same thing, and see them as equal. Often Ðūër Cheðaites will pick and choose which rituals from the other two denominations to complete, but in many places new rituals and rites have been developed to compliment the dual nature of the denomination.

**Deific Cheðaites**

The main Cheðaite religion doesn't require worship of a deity or deities, and many don't worship a deity (see Kelas Parmak), but many Cheðaites may worship something. It's difficult to know the exact number, as some will identify as other denominations rather than Deific, but deity worship in the Cheðaite religion may span from ancestor worship (who believe reincarnation only occurs if a person is forgotten in the Beyond) to belief in a creator/ creators of the Deep Dark, the Beyond and/or the planet and universe itself.


	38. F. Genital Arrangements (NSFW)

Some NSFW things I never got around to posting - depictions of Cheða terms for genitals. I hc that all Cardassians are able to produce ova and sperm, but fluctuating hormone levels pre-birth would determine the genital arrangement, which would determine the viability of pregnancy vs impregnation. Elim Garak has more of a _phmüäð,_ whereas Kelas Parmak has a _mëüë._

Those nearer the _phmüäð_ size would be more likely to impregnate. However, with enough effort, they can be impregnated - either by keeping the _phmüäð_ uneverted or by spending time stretching the _chlüäch_ around the evertion (which can be incredibly uncomfortable if not done correctly). Those with _amelle_ sizes would be more likely to be impregnated - the sperm ducts in the evertion are smaller, producing less sperm, and the size makes amelle-chlüäch penetrative sex difficult.

Pregnancy occurs when sperm meets egg. There is no menstruation among Cardassians - rather the egg is in a perpetual state of being built and being destroyed inside the womb. The egg cells grow, but each one has receptors that accept signals to deconstruct them after a certain amount of the sign. the discarded parts, which is mostly albumen, then form part of the natural genital lubricant of Cardassians, and will leak as natural discharge. in order to become pregnant, Cardassian sperm need to block the receptors on enough egg cells to overpower the egg-deconstruction signal, and those cells will develop into a soft-shelled egg with a viable foetus inside. The foetus is grown inside the egg-womb for five months or until it's a suitable size, before it is delivered through the _chlüäch_ and raised in a hot sand incubator for the last month.


End file.
